Those aren't mine. These were littering the forest floor beneath a magnificent hickory somewhere near Pure Florida HQ.
PFHQ is, unfortunately, a nut free zone.
(Resist the urge to make cracks about the steward of PFHQ ... you can do it)
The absence of nut trees was something I tried to change almost immediately once PFHQ became my responsibility.
In my virginal innocence, when we first moved here, I planted expensive hybrid chestnuts in the hinterlands.
The deer promptly nibbled and buckscraped those to death.
Later, they did the same to a few pecan trees.
Undaunted, I am once again trying to bring nuts to PFHQ.
This time, I'm following a strategy of victory through overwhelming firepower.
Last week, I gathered this bucket of hickory nuts from beneath that super-productive tree that I covet.
(Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's nut tree! ... commandment # 15.5 I think)
Yesterday, I loaded my parka pockets (it's cold here!) with dozens of nuts. Then I grabbed my sharp shooter shovel and took a walk through the PFHQ woods.
The sun was setting, the air was crisp, it was just a great time to be walking in the woods. I punctuated the walk with frequent stops to plant my precious cargo. Planting was quick and simple.
Pry open the soil using the long blade of the shovel ...
Drop in a hickory nut and tuck it deep in the soil ...
Finally, reseal the soil over the hickory nut with a little foot tamping.
Maybe, just maybe, the grey squirrels will only find some of the 50 or so nuts I planted.
It could happen.
I'm an optimist ... hey, I'm planting trees ... I must be.
13 comments:
I wish I had nuts as big as those, but I'll have to settle for a 50 gallon drum of acorns that I am still collecting for. Dang...
(Black Oak and Live Oak)
We had a couple of hickory trees taken down. They were leaving dents in cars and too many leaves on the roof. My next door neighbor still has one so we still get a few nuts in the yard. The wood is great for cooking though. Good luck with the nut planting.
We had a black walnut trees when we lived in Illinois that was in the back yard and we hated them, try mowing the lawn with nuts all over the ground!
I hope you will join in the Leek Challenge this week!!
Happy New Year!
We're just getting to the point of having surplus hazels in abundance (wish the walnuts and chestnuts would do the same).
There's something truly awesome about having something so productive of your own planting. Good luck!
hope the plantings work out!
my husband likes raising trees from pups. he will start them in small pots in the house, then put them outside in bigger pots near the house, and several are now transplanted to the hillside outside the fence -- in deer territory. until they get established, he puts a little wire fencing around them to discourage munching.
I'd take bets on the squirrels. Sorry. And I truly hope I'm wrong and you get some good sprouts. But hey! I'm truly happy to bring you back some hickories and black walnuts of the 3-4 foot variety early in the Spring. We will be digging in the area where they have sprouted in any case so I have some black plastic pots set on the side of the garage marked, "Asheville." It IS a little nippy isn't it?
Freste,
What WILL you do with all those acorns?
Kevin,
It aint the planting, it's the growing.
I hope you saved a bunch of that wood for the Q.
Lisa,
Oh, now I covet Black Walnut too.
Allison,
Want to, but leeks have never passed my lips. Not sure what to do.
Tai,
Thanks! It's obviously a long term project, but again, I am an optimist. Hooray for your hazelnut success!
Kathy,
I share his enchantment. There is something about starting a tree from seed, knowing it may be here hundreds of years later ...
Vicki,
If you're serious, I'd love that. Let me know and I'll drive down to Tampa to get them ... and return your wine bottle cooler bag.
Great excuse to see Emma at USF too!
I've seen some nice almond trees down here. Do they grow in your neck of the woods?? They are really nice trees
I wish you good luck with those nuts. It would be grand if it worked out.
It's a gesture of faith to plant those nuts. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Hickories are worth having. The fall color is nice. The winter light is good. I just wouldn't advise putting a tin roof under them.
saw a few of them up real close. Remember the H nut fights during the annual Guana camping trip?
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